IRI monitor: small gain thanks to snacks and chocolate

According to the IRI confectionery monitor, product categories salty snacks and chocolate have provided for more stability and added value with their revenue increases during the first four months of 2014. In total, confectionery sales (not including chewing gum and seasonal articles) in Germany increased by 1.9% to € 3.62 bn from January through April 2014. In contrast, the sales volume during this period decreased by 0.4% to 526,733 tonnes (IRI; based on food retailers, drug stores, hard discounters, and gas station shops).

Once again salty snacks have proved to be the engine for growth, and they continue to soar high during the year of the football world cup. The sales volume in this product segment increased by 4.6% to 109,905 tonnes, and revenues were up by 7.8% to € 803.5 m. Only chocolate products could keep pace with this performance, demonstrating a volume increase of 1.3% to 174,509 tonnes and a 2.9% growth in value to € 1.57 bn. In contrast, decreasing figures over the year prior were registered by IRI market researchers in the categories pastries & cakes (- 4.5% /- 3.5%) and sugar confectionery (- 2.5% /- 2.0%).

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